Last operating devices



Sept. 4, 1956 H. F. LOEWER LAST OPERATING DEVICES Filed Nov. 6,,1953

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 In venmr Henry F loewer' I p 4, 1955 H. F. LOEWER2,761,158

' LAST OPERATING DEVICES Filed Nov. 6. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 p 4, 1956H. F. LQEWER 2,761,158

LAST OPERATING DEVICES Filed NOV. 6. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 15 InventorHenry F Loewer' P 4, 1956 H. F. LOEWER $761,158

LAST OPERATING DEVICES Filed Nov. 6, 1953 Inventor 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Fatented Sept. 4, 1956 Flee LAST OPERATING DEVICES Application November6, 1953, Serial No. 390,577 1 Claim. (CI. 12-15) This invention relatesto mechanisms for opening and closing collapsible shoe lasts of the typedisclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,404,805, granted July30, 1946, on application of V. J. Levaggi, Jr.

This type of last is provided with a strong but resilient tension springwhich acts as a link to lock the heel and the forepart of the lasttogether in closed relation. This link is in the form of a single pieceof heavy spring wire having two flexible arms and an arcuate return bendconnecting them and adapted to extend around and engage a pivot pin inthe forepart of the last; the free end of one of said arms having a bendadapted to extend around and engage a pivot pin in the heel part; whilethe other of said arms has an intermediate bend forming a latchingshoulder adapted to cooperate with a latching pin in the heel part tothereby lock the last in closed position. A free end portion of thislatch arm extends beyond the latching shoulder to a position adjacentthe last spindle socket. The link may be unlocked, in order to collapsethe last, by engaging the resilient free end portion and forciblydeflecting it in such a direction as to increase the spread between thearms until the latching pin is freed from the latching shoulder. Thedeflection of the latching arm may conveniently be effected by movablyengaging its free end with a finger-like implement inserted into thelast through an opening in the adjacent last spindle socket.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an inexpensive and effectivemanually operated device for unlocking a collapsible last in theabove-described manner.

One of the novel features of this last operating device is the provisionof a movable last mounting spindle initially supported in an inclinedposition for receiving a last when presented to the device with the lastinverted and its toe end inclined downward. This movable spindle has amortise recess therein which accommodates a last unlatching finger whenthe spindle is in its initial inclined position.

A further feature of the invention is that the spindle, after a last tobe opened has been placed thereon, may be pivotally moved in a verticalplane by merely pulling upward on the toe end of the last, and thismovement of the spindle causes the unlatching finger to be exposed andleft projecting outward from the interior of the spindle where it may beengaged by the free end of the latching arm of the last link and, uponfurther movement of the spindle toward its upright or vertical position,the relative movement between the finger and the last frees the latchingshoulder on the last link arm from the latching pin thereby unlockingthe last which has, during the unlocking operation, been elevated to asubstantially horizontal position in which position a shoe may be mostconveniently mounted upon or removed from the collapsed last.

Another advantageous feature of the invention is the provision of areleasable stop mechanism on the last operating device for firmlyholding-the unlocked last in the horizontal position while the shoemounting or removing operation is being performed.

Still another feature of the invention is the novel mechanism whichcauses the last supporting spindle to enclose or expose the unlatchingfinger in response to the pivotal shifting movement of the spindle.

me of the advantages of this last operating device 18 its compactconstruction device to be screwed or bolted, at a chosen height abovemanufacturing machine.

The above and other objects and features of this invention will appearfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodimentthereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and will be pointedout in the claim.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the device, with a locked lastpositioned thereon in its initial or inclined posltion;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing portions broken away and in section andshowing the device in its upright position with the last unlocked andcollapsed;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of parts of the device shown partially brokenaway and in section;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device in its upright position;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation view of the device in upright position; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view showing a detailas viewed along the line VI-VI of Fig. l and looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Referring to these drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thelast operating device therein illustrated consists of a stationaryupright frame plate 12 provid ing a pedestal upon which the lastoperating mechanism is supported. This pedestal is secured to a suitablemounting member, such as a table top T, by bolts or screws passingthrough a horizontal flange portion 14. The movable head portion of theoperating mechanism, designated generally by the arrow 1, is fabricatedin laminate form, as will be described hereinafter, and is mova'blymounted upon the upper portion of the plate 12 by means of a pin toextending through a transverse hole 18 in the plate 12 (Fig. 3). Avertical side portion of the plate is relieved so as to form a socket20, adjacent the hole 18, into which socket fits the base of anunlatching finger 22. This base is attached within the socket by the pin16 which passes through a hole 24 in the base, and the finger when soattached is secured against pivotal movement about said pin by reason ofthe fact that the base of the finger has a non-circular edge portion 26contiguous to a wall portion 28 of the socket. The last unlatchingfinger is thus rigidly held above the stationary upright frame plate 12.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that, as abovementioned, the movable head portion of the operating mechanism comprisesa series of plates, secured together in parallel relationship by screwfastenings passing transversely through the plates, with a lastsupporting spindle rigidly attached thereto by one of said screws. Thetwo outside plates 30, 31, which will be referred to as the housingmembers of the movable head portion 1, have nested therebetween a set ofspindleholding guide plates 32, 33. These plates 32, 33 are providedrsepectiveiy with an arcuate guide slot 34, 35, so that when assembled,with their slots in juxtaposed relationship, the ends of the pin 16 arein said slots: it being understood that the length of the pin 16 isslightly less than the combined width of both guide plates. It

is to be noted that, whereas the overall thickness of the plate 33 ismuch greater than that of the plate 32, the former plate is relieved asufiicient amount throughout certain portions of its width to provide anaccommodating passageway for the upper portion of the frame member 12and the base of the finger 22. This relieved area enables the headportions of the device to be assembled with the upright frame member 12sandwiched between the two guide plates 32, 33; and the guide slots 34,35, cooperating with the stationary pin 16, permit limited manualshifting movement of the movable head portion in a vertical plane. Theupper, or latch operating, end of the finger 22 protrudes from theupright frame member 12; and, when the movable head portion of thedevice is in the downwardly inclined position of Fig. l, the upper endof this finger is nested in a longitudinal open slot or mortise 36extending through a last mounting spindle 38. This spindle has anenlarged rectangular base portion 40 fitting into a receptacle thereforformed by adjacent cut-out openings 41, 42, respectively, through theupper portion of the two guide plates 32, 33. The spindle base isretained in fixed position within said receptacle, and therefore rigidwith respect to the movable head plates 30, 31, 32 and 33, by aretaining screw 44 passing through the plates and through an opening inthe spindle base.

Now, referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that as the movable headportion 1 is lifted or shifted in a counterclockwise direction, therebybringing the spindle to a more upright position, the free end of thestationary finger 22 is left protruding outward from the side of thespindle; and, when this lifting movement is accomplished with a lockedlast L positioned over the spindle 38, the resultant relative movementof the spindle and last with respect to the free end of the finger 22causes the latter to be engaged by the resilient free end portion E ofthe last link and the latching shoulder S to be deflected out of lockingengagement (Fig. l) with the latching pin P, whereupon continued upwardforce applied upon the forepart of the last will cause the last to becollapsed as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring again to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the thickened forwardwall of the opening 42, in the guide plate 33, is provided with a smallboss 46 projecting rearwardly into the cut-ou-t opening 42 at a locationadjacent the inside root of the curve 48, of the stationary finger 22;it being understood that, when the various parts are assembled, the boss46 will extend slightly into the mortise 36 and, by contacting the rootof the curved portion of the finger 22, it will thus establish a pointabout which the movable head portion of the device is free to oscillaterelatively to the pin 16 along the arcuate path defined by the guideslots 34 and 35. The oscillatory movement of the guide plates 32, 33 ina clockwise direction is limited, or terminated, by the pin 16 engagingwith corresponding ends of the moving slots 34 and 35', as shown inFig. 1. However, the extent of movement in the opposite direction islimited by a stop pin 54) whcih abuts against a portion of the uprightframe 12 before the pin can engage the opposite ends of the guide slots.This latter limiting action is designed to prevent the pin 16, duringthe operation of the device, from being in alinement with two juxtaposedopenings 51, 53' through the outside plates 30, 31, because this pin,when in such an alinement, may readily be removed from the headassemblage, which is necessary in order to disassemble the device.

It may be seen from Fig. 2 that as long as the free end of the finger 22projects as therein illustrated, the last will remain collapsed for theconvenient mounting or removal of a shoe, regardless of how muchdownward pressure may be applied upon the forepart of the last.Therefore, in order to maintain the device in the condition shown inPig. 2, a releasable latch 54 is provided on a pivoted lever arm 56which. is spring biased in a direction to cause the latch 54 tooperatively engage with a notch 58 cut in the curved lower edge of theguide plate 32 (Fig. 3) when the head assemblage has been oscillated asufficient amount to collapse the last. This notch is located in such aposition and is so designed that, when engaged with the latch 54, themovable head portion is thereby restrained against clockwise movementwhich might permit the closing and locking of the last, but it is notthereby restrained against a slight counterclockwise movement beyond theposition of Fig. 2. notch is purposely designed to allow movement of thehead until the stop pin 50 strikes the frame plate 12. The reason forproviding for this additional counterclockwise movement, when desired,is to allow the finger 22 to project slightly further into certain shoelasts in which the free end E of the link might be positioned slightlymore distant from the spindle socket than that position shown in theillustrated last. Such a variation in location may be encountered inlasts for shoes having very high heels and therefore steep shankportions which require a different positioning of the last link and pinswith respect to the spindle socket in the last. When it is desired tolower the head assemblage to allow the last to be closed and locked, thelatch 54 may be withdrawn from the notch 58 by manually depressing ahandle 60 on the end of the lever 56, or, if desired, the device may beprovided with a suitable foot-operated treadle mechanism, designatedgenerally by the arrow 62, in Fig. 2, connected by a rod 64 to the leverarm 56.

In addition to the just described latching mechanism for holding thespindle in its upright position, the device is provided with africtional ball detent which, when the device is in its normal inclinedposition of Fig. 1, automatically operates to steady the device in saidinclined position so that a last readily may be placed on, or removedfrom, the spindle 38 without the operator holding the device to preventsuch relative movement between the spindle and finger, as might causethe finger to protrude from the spindle and thus interfere with saidplacing or removing operation. Referring to Figs. 3 and 6, this detentmechanism comprises a V-shaped recess 66 cut into the wall of the framemember 12 adjacent the movable guide plate 33. Also, a cylindrical hole68 is cut through the plates 31 and 3-3. This hole is solocated thatwhen the plates 31, 33 are in their inclined position of Fig. 1 the holewill be in axial alinement with the recess 66. The end of the hole 68adjacent the recess has a reduced diameter forming a spherically taperedpocket or seat for a ball 70 which ball projects slightly beyond theseat formed in the plate 33. This ball is yieldingly pressed outwardagainst the seat by a compression spring 72 nested between the ball anda retaining cup '74 threaded into the wall of the hole 68 in the plate31. From the foregoing it will be perceived that when the device ismoved to the position of Fig. 1, the projecting portion of the ball 70will snap into the recess 66, and that when once so seated the force ofthe spring 72 will tend to hold the ball in the recess, therebyfrictionally locking together the frame and head portion of the devicewhile a last is being placed or removed. Of course, it is to beunderstood that the force of the spring 72 is insufficient to preventthe head from being forced in a counterclockwise direction, when it isdesired so to do, thereby causing the ball to be temporarily cammedinward against the spring to permit relative movement between the headand frame portions. Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be noted thata cam surface 76 is formed by removing a portion of the vertical frontcorner of the frame plate 12 on the side adjacent the guide plate 33.The inclined surface thus formed serves as a cam to force the ball 70back into the hole 68 when the device isapproaching the inclinedposition of Fig. 1, and to thus allow the ball seat to be placed readilyin alinement with the recess 66, at which location the ball '70 willinterlock the plates 12 and 33.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A last operating device for opening shoe lasts, comprising: a framemember; an inclined stationary finger protruding in a vertical planebeyond said member and adapted, When caused to extend through a verticalopening in a last spindle socket, to operatively engage with a latchingarm of a last link; a movable last mounting spindle provided with alongitudinal mortise to receive said finger and enclose it therein whenthe spindle is in an inclined last receiving position; spindle-carryingguide means movably connected to the frame member and finger so as tolimit the motion of the spindle to a pivotal swinging movement along thevertical plane of the finger, whereby the spindle may be pivotally movedaway from its inclined last receiving position to a more verticalposition thus exposing the finger and bringing the latching arm intooperative engagement with the finger; and a manually releasable detentengageable with the spindlecarrying guide means to positively hold thespindle in said vertical position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS949,160 Schelter Feb. 15, 1910 983,936 Schelter Feb. 14, 1911 2,209,425Steinhilber July 30, 1940 2,393,787 Levaggi I an. 29, 1946 2,504,138Loewer Apr. 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 303,974 Great Britain Jan. 17, 1929

